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Popular measures of consumer attitudes were positive in August 2017. Those polled by the Conference Board for the Consumer Confidence tally were much more enthusiastic than a month earlier as were the folks interviewed by the University of Michigan for Consumer Sentiment figures.

America’s trade deficit widened a little in July according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  Growing $200 million to $43.7 billion from the revised tally of $43.5 billion (originally $43.6 billion), our nation’s trading shortfall gave back a portion of the prior month’s $2.8 billon improvement.  Nonetheless, America continues to import much more that it exports.&n

Location is critical for many trading partnerships.  For instance, last year America’s number two and three trading relationships were with the world’s 10^th and 15^th largest economies: Canada and Mexico.  These two nations trade with the U.S in large part because of proximity.  However, with increased globalization, other key relationships develo

Output on both sides of the American economy accelerated in August according to the two figures from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Manufacturing’s tally increased to 58.8 from an already strong reading of 56.3 in July. On the service side of output, the non-manufacturing total reached 55.3 after the prior count of 53.9.

Just before Labor Day Weekend started, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released their latest figures for America's employment situation. Our economy added 156,000 net new jobs in the period, but the prior two months were downwardly revised by a combined 41,000. Despite the increased number of filled positions, the unemployment rate climbed one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.4 percent.

With Harvey remaining relatively stationary along the Gulf Coast, one cannot help but be simultaneously mortified by the destruction and in awe of the energy necessary to create this meteorological phenomenon.  Weather science is not Atlas’ forte, but gosh it’s interesting.  It is a discipline chocked full of data which can be analyzed and morphed into information, informa

America’s economy grew faster in the second quarter of 2017 than initially tallied according to data regarding gross domestic product (GDP) from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  After more complete information was collected, it now appears that output increased at the fastest pace since the first quarter of 2015.  Growing 3.0 percent on an inflation-adjusted annualized basis (i

America’s current economic expansion, which started in June 2009, has been perplexing.  Our nation’s expansion has been described by some as a “New Normal” after old economic relationships have proven less reliable than before.  For instance, our economy’s pace of growth since the end of the Great Recession has been sluggish even though the Feder

Orders for wares expected to last longer than three years took an expected tumble in July 2017 according to the Durable Goods Report from the Census Bureau. As Atlas wrote here, June’s outsized jump was led by soaring orders for aircraft (up 129.3 percent in period; downwardly revised from 131 percent), but this was not repeated a month later.